David James Believes in Liverpool's Top Four Credentials

Liverpool face league leaders Leicester City on Saturday and will try to secure a first league victory of the month at Anfield. The unpredictability of the Premier League this season has been the biggest talking point among pundits and fans, but Claudio Ranieri's Foxes have been been fantastic so far.

Liverpool just need to win this game by any means necessary, and while Leicester weren't seen as a big scalp when the fixtures were released, victory could help Jürgen Klopp's side rediscover the promise shown in October and November.

For David James, Liverpool can still think of finishing in the top four. The numbers are what they are and reveal that Liverpool need 1.95 points per game to reach 65 points, a figure that puts the Reds firmly in the conversation for fourth. James told the Liverpool Echo that it's still feasible with just over half of the league campaign to go.

"I still think Liverpool can finish in the top four," James said on qualifying for next season's Champions League through the Premier League. "They’ve had some poor results recently but we’ve seen what Liverpool can do under Jurgen Klopp. When everyone is on their game there shouldn’t be a team in England that Liverpool fear facing.

"The likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and even Man City have their problems. If Liverpool can get it together in the second half of the season the opportunity is there. They have a fantastic coach in Klopp and this is a good crop of players. They will kick on again."

There is time, but with each draw and each defeat, the task becomes harder. There's no reason why Crystal Palace and Watford FC—two good London sides that gave Liverpool a lot of problems this season—should be jostling for a top four spot while Liverpool are trailing further behind. Liverpool's manager and players are capable of challenging.

It's almost certain that Liverpool will lose some more games this season. The comforting aspect of this season is that it appears that every side in the running will drop points too.  Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are only five points ahead with 21 games remaining, and the BT Sport pundit has an idea where Liverpool could improve.

"My only criticism of Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp is the same as it was under Brendan Rodgers," he said. "There’s been too much rotation of the team. When you rotate a lot and make four or five changes for every game then a lack of cohesion is likely to be a problem.

"I understand Jurgen Klopp’s situation. He’s still relatively new to the club and he’s still searching for the right formula. Injuries have also disrupted things. It’s been a difficult transition but all the changes don’t help performances. There’s no Europa League for a while now so I think he needs to settle on a preferred XI."

David James went on to share some interesting thoughts on the improvement in the squad since Klopp's arrival as well as his understanding of trying to create a better atmosphere at Anfield. He doesn't think that much business is needed to support an already talented squad so clearly believes in the potential of the manager and the players.

Liverpool needed to rotate with the injuries as they were over the past couple of months ahead of a period where the manager knows a break won't be waiting for the players akin to his native Germany. There's not enough depth at fullback and defensive midfield too, although the 48-year-old has tried to give players a break when possible.

Maybe there'll be more consistency with the next international break in March, but December and January are busy months where rotation will be needed to ensure that the players don't enter February weakly. It's a difficult balance to strike, but Liverpool still have a chance to turn things around.